St. Paul's becomes second Vallejo Lutheran church declaring LGBT support

Published By Times Herald

A relatively small Vallejo Lutheran congregation has joined another in the city to declare its acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

A small white church on Tuolumne Street is a roof each Sunday to about 150 people who voted to declare the "Reconciliation in Christ" status on Dec. 1.

However, the celebration, which is nationwide, took place Jan. 26, Interim Pastor Pamela Griffith Pond said.

"What's exciting to me ... Solano County was the only county in the Bay Area who voted 'yes' on Prop 8," Griffith Pond said. "Having this congregation to take such a public stand to welcome people who don't feel welcomed is just a wonderful and tremendous thing."

Proposition 8 was a California ballot measure voters passed in 2008 that prohibited same-sex marriages. It was later voided as unconstitutional in a court challenge.

The Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity on Doyle Street was the first Lutheran church in Vallejo to declare RIC status in 2012.

Often called "open and affirming" by other denominations, RIC is the Lutheran version of the practice in which a congregation openly declares its inclusiveness.

The congregation started looking into the process at the end of 2012, RIC committee chair Judith Faye said. And the process took about a year to complete.

"The church has been welcoming for a long time." Faye said. "This is sort of making a public statement."

She said it was a "coming out" process for the church.

Faye said there was no dissenting discussion during the process, and that the council voted unanimously for it to move forward.

"For me it's really an issue of justice," she said. "I think it is concerning that the voice of Christians in the media is not of confirmation, but of condemnation. ... I don't see it that way and it's just disturbing."

She said during the discussions before the vote, the congregation began to learn about each other.

"I don't think we really knew about each other," Faye said. "There are a number of people who have family members of friends who are LGBTQ."

The church now displays a rainbow flag at one of its entrances, signifying its support to the community.

"I just hope that this is at least a small voice for justice," Faye added.

The church, at 1300 Tuolumne St., regularly holds two services on Sunday. For more information, visit www.stpaulsvallejo.org.